A Christmas Railway Mystery

by Edward Marston

  ‘Mrs Knight didn’t use that word,’ said Leeming. ‘She told me that she and her daughter were courtesans.’

  ‘I doubt whether it’s a term that any of their clients ever use. Strictly speaking, I suppose, we should report the existence and location of the house to Inspector Piercey but I suspect that he’s already aware of it and turns a blind eye.’

  ‘That’s what Mrs Knight hinted to me.’

  ‘Then we don’t need to interfere. Well, I can see that you had an unsettling time with her, Victor, but you learnt something valuable. Cudlip went there on the night of the murder in a state of wild excitement.’

  ‘I wonder if it was the act of killing someone that made him like that. We’ve seen it happen before. Some people are overcome with guilt after a murder but we’ve met others who are quite the opposite. They’re wild and inflamed. It sounds to me as if Cudlip was in that state,’ said Leeming, confidently. ‘We should arrest him.’

  ‘No,’ decided Colbeck. ‘I’m not committing myself to an arrest on the word of a courtesan or whatever she claims to be. We have a suspect who was overexcited on the night when Rodman was killed but we also have one who came back to the barracks with blood on his hands. Cudlip or Llewellyn – which one of them did the deed? It’s up to us to be sure we have the right man before we move in. In any case, you favour Samway and Superintendent Grosvenor still believes that it was Daniel Gill. He didn’t even consider Alford and the others.’

  ‘We should forget Alford.’

  ‘I’m loath to rule him out, Victor.’

  ‘Yet there’s no real evidence against him.’

  ‘It may yet emerge.’

  They discussed their five suspects for some time but the disappearance of Edward Tallis remained at the back of their minds. Conversation eventually moved once again to the missing superintendent.

  ‘This will teach Mouldy a lesson,’ said Leeming. ‘When he replaced Tallis, he thought that he could be just as good at the job. Then he gets a telegraph from the commissioner and has to take control of a search. He won’t know where to begin. I’ll wager that he’s sitting on the train at this moment, wishing that he’d never been promoted in the first place.’

  ‘I disagree, Victor.’

  ‘Mouldy will be shaking in his shoes.’

  ‘That may be his initial reaction,’ said Colbeck, ‘but he’ll soon adjust to the emergency and he’ll begin to see it in a rather different way.’

  Martin Grosvenor caught the first train to London and settled into a compartment. When one of his travelling companions tried to engage him in conversation, he studiously ignored the man. He was eager to be alone with his thoughts. An element of panic had set in when he stood on the platform earlier. He had no experience of organising a manhunt or of dealing with a ransom demand. Tallis, by contrast, had done both and would therefore know exactly what to do. Grosvenor had to try to emulate him somehow. For the first time, he began to question his own abilities. If his deficiencies were exposed by such an important investigation, his occupation of Tallis’s office would come to an abrupt end. Instead of earning kudos, he’d lose the commissioner’s faith in him.

  As time passed, however, he slowly recovered his confidence and came to look at the crisis in an alternative way. If he was dealing with a kidnap, it might work to his advantage. Those involved might not even want money in return for Tallis’s freedom. The superintendent might already have been killed. Like most of those in law enforcement, Tallis had received anonymous letters in the past, threatening him with revenge and he’d cheerfully disregarded them. Had some of his enemies managed to carry out their threats at last? Had he been abducted in order to be murdered? It was a grim prospect yet Grosvenor stood to profit from the calamity. If one superintendent was killed, the most likely person to replace him was the man who’d been Tallis’s temporary substitute. A promotion due to last a few days might be extended until his retirement from the Detective Department. He would have security of tenure and permanent authority over Colbeck.

  It was a delicious possibility. If he led a successful hunt for Tallis and rescued him, Grosvenor would win plaudits from everyone. If, however, the superintendent had already been executed by vengeful criminals, his caretaker would stay in office. Either way, Grosvenor stood to gain. His anxiety melted away instantly. Instead of fearing his return to Scotland Yard, he couldn’t get there quick enough.

  When his shift was over, Fred Alford followed the same procedure as on previous days. He went straight to Betty Rodman’s house, relieved his wife of the task of keeping her company and took on the duty himself. The moment that Liza had left, he enfolded Betty in his arms.

  ‘How have you been today?’

  ‘I’m bearing up, Fred.’

  ‘I’m always here for you – and you know why.’

  ‘Yes,’ she said, sadly. ‘My life would have been very different if I’d married you instead of Frank. He made lots of promises but stood by very few of them. You’d have been much more steadfast.’

  ‘I’d have done anything for you, Betty. I still would.’

  She smiled bravely. ‘I made my decision and it gave me three wonderful children. It also gave me a lot of bad memories but there are plenty of good ones as well. Frank wanted to be a better husband but he was … easily led astray.’

  ‘You don’t need to tell me that. I watched it happen.’

  ‘It was like having two husbands, Fred. One of them was the man I loved who sang in the church choir and doted on the children. The other was a drunken fool who got into fights and neglected us.’

  ‘There were times when I simply wanted to knock some sense into him,’ said Alford, ‘but I knew you wouldn’t like me interfering so I kept my distance.’

  She kissed him on the cheek. ‘Thank you, Fred.’

  He stood back from her so that he could look at her properly.

  ‘Have you heard anything from Inspector Colbeck?’

  ‘No, but I’m sure he’s working hard to solve the murder. It’s somebody we know, somebody who’s carrying on as if nothing has happened. Who can it be?’

  ‘Let the detectives sort that out. All you need to think about is the future for you and the children.’

  ‘We have no future, Fred,’ she said, gloomily. ‘It died with Frank.’

  ‘No, it didn’t,’ he said, squeezing her hands. ‘As long as I’m alive, Betty, you do have a future. I know it’s difficult at the moment but you must believe that there is a life elsewhere – better than the one you’ve been living. Keep that thought at the forefront of your mind. You’ll always have me, remember.’

  She nodded. ‘Knowing that is the only thing that’s kept me going, Fred.’

  He took her in his arms again and held her tight.

  The novelty of Swindon had soon worn off for Leeming. Since he didn’t share Colbeck’s passion for watching steam locomotives, carriages and wagons being constructed, he simply found the Railway Village dirty, noisy and depressing. He was, therefore, delighted when he was told they’d be going back to London that evening.

  ‘What changed your mind, sir?’ he asked.

  ‘Tallis’s disappearance worries me, Victor,’ said Colbeck. ‘I’d like to know the details and see if I can offer advice.’

  ‘Oh, you can offer it but it would never be accepted by Mouldy Grosvenor.’

  ‘I’d go above his head to the commissioner.’

  ‘Does that mean we have a night at home?’

  ‘It does, indeed, but we’ll be on the early train back here tomorrow.’

  ‘It will be a lovely surprise for Estelle and the boys.’

  ‘I’m rather hoping that I’ll get a cordial welcome from Madeleine. She’ll have read the letter I posted yesterday but today’s news can be delivered in person.’

  ‘Have you told Mr Stinson that we’re leaving?’

  ‘There’s no need for him to know. We’ll ask Mr Wells to keep our rooms at the Queen’s Tap and be back there before Stinson realise
s that we went home.’ Gathering up some papers from the desk, he led the way to the door. ‘London can be noisy but it’s positively deafening being in the middle of a Locomotive Works.’ As they left the office, he couldn’t resist teasing the sergeant. ‘Are you going to tell Estelle about your visit to Mrs Knight, the courtesan?’

  ‘No, I’m not!’ retorted Leeming.

  ‘It’s not often you meet a mother and daughter like them.’

  ‘They shouldn’t need to do … what they do.’

  They returned to the pub, collected their valises, then headed for the station. Though it was early evening, it was dark and bleak. They walked briskly to generate warmth. Colbeck was practical.

  ‘Sometimes we need to get away from a place in order to view it in a new perspective. Since we’ve been here,’ said Colbeck, ‘we’ve immersed ourselves in the world of railways. Taking a short break from it will both freshen us and allow us time for reflection.’

  ‘Do we need it, sir? We know who the killer is.’

  ‘Are you still convinced that it was Samway?’

  ‘No,’ said Leeming. ‘My money is on Simeon Cudlip now.’

  ‘I think it would be wise to restrict yourself to a very small wager.’

  ‘Why is that, sir?’

  ‘Nothing can be considered to be positive,’ said Colbeck. ‘Yes, we have five credible suspects, each one of them capable of the vile act that brought us to Swindon. But we must always bear in mind the possibility – remote, I grant you – that all of them are entirely innocent.’

  Leeming was disheartened. ‘Do you mean that it could be someone we’ve never even thought of?’

  ‘I mean exactly that, Victor.’

  Grosvenor’s interview with the commissioner was relatively short. There were scant details of the abduction to pass on. The news that the local constabulary had been unable to find any clues as to Tallis’s whereabouts was worrying. Grosvenor was told to send detectives to join the hunt immediately. He did his best to impress the commissioner by claiming that his visit to Swindon had more or less resulted in the identification of the killer but that news made no impact. The disappearance of the highly respected superintendent took precedence. Grosvenor was urged to forget about the murder investigation in Wiltshire and concentrate all his energies on finding Edward Tallis.

  Grosvenor returned to his office to discover that someone was waiting to see him. Having reported the kidnap to their old regiment, Terence Wardlow had caught a train to London and had just arrived. He was able to pass on more details of what he believed must have happened.

  ‘Are you absolutely sure that he was kidnapped?’ asked Grosvenor.

  ‘What else could have happened?’

  ‘He might have been taken seriously ill.’

  ‘Edward was in rude health. Besides, if he had been taken ill or been involved in some kind of accident, it would have been reported hours ago.’

  ‘Have the police made no progress at all?’

  ‘They’re convinced that Edward is no longer in the city because they’ve scoured it from end to end. Since they’re relatively few in number, I called on members of our old regiment to lend us their assistance. Soldiers are now searching Canterbury and the vicinity. They know about his distinguished military service.’

  Grosvenor was not sure whether to be reassured or worried. If the manhunt had reinforcements, the chances of finding Tallis were increased. Detectives were all working at full stretch in London. Very few were available. Grosvenor decided that a couple would suffice to coordinate the search. What Wardlow had told him should have been construed as good news. Yet he didn’t recognise it as such. While he didn’t want any harm to come to the superintendent, he was hoping that, at the very least, he’d be able to hold on to his role at Scotland Yard for a few more days. A full week at the helm would give him enough time to establish his credentials for promotion. Though he told Wardlow that he’d do all in his power to rescue Tallis, he was secretly hoping that there’d be a delay.

  ‘You must have some idea who is behind this,’ said Wardlow.

  ‘I’m afraid that I don’t.’

  ‘Because of his work here, Edward was bound to create enemies. He talked to me about the constant threats he received. Knowing him, I’m sure that he kept any abusive letters in a drawer somewhere. Couldn’t you sift through them to find some that relate to recent cases? They might hold a clue as to who his captors might be.’

  ‘I’ll look into it, Captain Wardlow.’

  ‘Inspector Colbeck would already have done so. Edward always spoke about him in such favourable terms. It’s a pity that he’s not sitting in your chair.’

  ‘I was chosen above Inspector Colbeck,’ said Grosvenor, wincing.

  Praise for his rival was not simply irritating, it came as a surprise. Whenever Tallis spoke about Colbeck in Grosvenor’s hearing, he was more likely to criticise than commend him. The notion that he spoke so well of Colbeck in private was like a dagger inserted between the ribs.

  ‘Colbeck is involved in a murder inquiry,’ he explained. ‘I will send detectives to Canterbury at once.’

  Wardlow was upset. ‘You’ll go with them, surely?’

  ‘I have responsibility for many other important cases. The manhunt is the most pressing, of course, but I can’t abandon all the others and desert my desk.’

  ‘Yet one of your officers told me you’d done just that. You went off earlier today to Swindon and left all these other cases you talk about dangling in the air.’

  Grosvenor writhed in his seat. ‘A crisis arose there,’ he said, airily, ‘and I had to deal with it. News of the abduction brought me back at once.’

  ‘I’d feel happier if you went to Canterbury.’

  ‘You’re not in the army now, Captain Wardlow. Inside this building, I’m the one who makes decisions and gives orders. I know that you’re a close friend of the superintendent but that doesn’t entitle you to question my authority.’

  Wardlow gritted his teeth. ‘So be it,’ he said.

  ‘It was good of you to report to me in person but I now have all the available facts at my fingertips. That allows me to act accordingly.’ Standing up, he crossed to the door and opened it meaningfully. ‘Thank you for coming, Captain Wardlow. You can leave everything to us now. If the superintendent is still in Canterbury, we’ll find him very quickly.’

  Edward Tallis had called out so much that he no longer had a voice left. His throat was burning, his whole body was aching and he was starting to lose hope. Having struggled to his feet, he now had freedom of movement but all he could do was to blunder about in the dark. The door was securely locked and all he’d achieved by hurling himself repeatedly against it was a series of painful bruises on his shoulder. It seemed as if he was being deliberately left alone there by his captors. There was no light and no means of sustenance. When he found a trough, the water in it was so brackish that he was forced to spit it out. Tallis could hear rats crawling in the straw but they were only a minor worry. What troubled him most was the way that the temperature had fallen. The biting cold was making him shiver. Somehow he had to find a way to keep warm. If he dared to fall asleep, he might freeze to death.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Having put her daughter to bed, Madeleine was tiptoeing away from the nursery when she heard the sound of a key being inserted in the front door. She came swiftly downstairs and saw her husband standing in the hall with his arms widespread. Suffused with delight, she ran into his embrace and kissed him full on the lips.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me that you were coming home?’ she asked.

  ‘It was a decision made on the spur of the moment, my love.’

  ‘Does that mean you’ll be going back to Swindon?’

  ‘It does, I fear,’ he said. ‘Meanwhile, I’ll be able to hold my beautiful daughter again before spending a night in your arms.’

  ‘Helen has just gone to bed.’

  ‘Then I’ll just kiss her gently on the forehe
ad.’

  ‘Before you do that, tell me what’s been happening. You’ve given me some of the details in your letter but there must be a lot more to hear.’

  Taking off his hat, coat and gloves, he followed her into the privacy of the drawing room. Hands entwined, they sat side by side on the sofa. He gave her a brief summary of the latest events in Swindon before telling her that the investigation had, to some extent, been eclipsed by the disappearance of Tallis.

  She was horrified. ‘Have they any idea where he is?’

  ‘Apparently not,’ he replied.

  ‘Do they think that …?’

  ‘Foul play is always a possibility in this profession, alas. I’ve lost count of the number of officers who’ve been attacked over the years. I’ve always believed that Edward Tallis was able to look after himself. Patently, that’s no longer true.’

  ‘What steps are being taken to find him?’

  ‘I don’t know, Madeleine. It’s the other reason I decided to come home for the night. I need to confront Martin Grosvenor on the issue. I don’t want him doing things that might inadvertently imperil the superintendent’s life.’

  ‘This is dreadful news.’

  ‘We may yet be worrying unnecessarily.’

  ‘He can’t just vanish like that.’

  ‘I agree.’ He stroked her hand. ‘But tell me your news. How is Helen and how is your father? Did he suggest that he came to Swindon as my assistant or was he put off by its association with Brunel?’

  ‘Helen is well but missing you a lot. As for my father, he continues to sneer at the GWR but was ready to offer you advice all the same. I steered him away from doing that. Otherwise, life has carried on as normal. Oh,’ she recalled, ‘I’ve seen a lot of Lydia while you were away.’

  ‘That’s good. How is she?’

  ‘Oh, she’s very happy at the moment because Alan Hinton called on her earlier today.’